Diversity and identification of mycorrhizal fungi of tropical Comarostaphylis arbutoides

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Arbutoid mycorrhizal plants are commonly found as understory vegetation in forests worldwide where ectomycorrhiza forming trees occur. Comarostaphylis arbutoides is a tropical woody plant that forms arbutoid mycorrhiza. This plant, which is colonised by ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi from ectotrophic forest trees nearby, is a refuge for these fungi after forest clearance of the economically important forest trees. As Costa Rica is a hot spot of global plant diversity and probably of diversity of tropical ectomycorrhizal fungi, C. arbutoides ssp. costaricensis as a refuge plant for these fungi was chosen. C. arbutoides is endemic to the Cordillera de Talamanca of Costa Rica. Diversity and identification of ECM fungi of C. arbutoides from three sub-alpine forest sites in the Cordillera de Talamanca, where Quercus costaricensis and C. arbutoides grow together, shall be investigated. The first aim of the project is to investigate the taxonomic diversity of the arbutoid mycorrhizal morphotypes of C. arbutoides and compare it with the diversity of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, which is native amongst others in the Austrian alpine and sub-alpine region. The second aim is to study the exploration types to get information on the functional diversity of the morphotypes. The third aim is to identify the ectomycorrhizal fungi using molecular methods. The fourth aim is to describe the anatomy and ultrastructure of arbutoid morphotypes of C. arbutoides. The knowledge of ectomycorrhizal fungi and soil biology of the tropics may deliver insight into climate change.